ITEM:

INFORMATIONAL ITEM/STAFF REPORT

 

25.

CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR DECEMBER 2019

 

Meeting Date:

January 22, 2020

Budgeted: 

N/A

 

From:

David J. Stoldt,

Program/

N/A

 

General Manager

Line Item No.:

 

 

 

 

Prepared By:

Beverly Chaney

Cost Estimate:

N/A

 

General Counsel Review:  N/A

Committee Recommendation:  N/A

CEQA Compliance:  This action does not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378.

AQUATIC HABITAT AND FLOW CONDITIONS:   After two very dry months, a large, early December storm filled and spilled Los Padres Reservoir, increased river flows significantly (peaked at approximately 1,000 cfs in the valley), then filled and opened the lagoon all in a few days. Mainstem flows remained elevated throughout the month providing good steelhead rearing conditions and the opportunity for early season, sea-run adult steelhead to migrate upstream.

 

December’s mean daily streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir ranged from 33 to 555 cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) (monthly mean 196 cfs) resulting in 12,060 acre-feet (AF) of runoff. Mean daily streamflow at the Highway 1 gage ranged from 10 to 476 cfs (monthly mean 188 cfs) resulting in 11,550 acre-feet (AF) of runoff.

There were 8.26 inches of rainfall in December as recorded at the San Clemente gauge. The rainfall total for WY 2020 (which started on October 1, 2019) is 10.23 inches, or 151% of the long-term year-to-date average of 6.77 inches. 

LOS PADRES DAM ADULT STEELHEAD COUNT: The Los Padres fish ladder and trap started operating on December 12, 2019. As of December 31st, only two small resident trout had been trapped.

 

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON:  On December 3, 2019 the lagoon’s water surface elevation (WSE) increased to ~15.0 feet before breaching the beach berm and draining to ~4.5 feet (North American Vertical Datum of 1988; NAVD 88) (See graph below).

 

Water quality depth-profiles were conducted at five sites on December 20, 2019 while the lagoon mouth was open, the water surface elevation was ~5.5 feet, and river inflow was 101 cfs. Steelhead rearing conditions were generally “good” throughout the lagoon: salinity from tidal action increased with depth (0.8 - 24 ppt), dissolved oxygen (DO) levels ranged from 6 – 10 mg/l, and water temperatures were cool at 52 - 55 degrees F. 

                                                                            

 

 

Carmel River Lagoon Plot:

 

 

 

 

 

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